Shingen Takeda
Nobunaga's Ambition Iron Triangle Shingen is the leader of Takeda clan,he is one of the strongest character in this game,he is known for his superior military tactics which he uses against his enemy,Takeda clan is well-versed at cavalry technology,Shingen Takeda enemy is Kenshin,he fight many times with Kenshin Uesugi and he fight with Ujiyasu Hojo when the alliance between these two clans ends.There are two events at the Takeda clan,which has to do with Shingen.The first one is when is his son Yoshinobu Takeda and Toramasa Obu rebelled against Shingen,and they both died.The second one is when Harunobu Takeda chages his name to Shingen Takeda. Shingen Takeda Biography Life Takeda Shingen was the first born son of Takeda Nobutora, leader of the Takeda clan, and daimyo of the province of Kai. He had been an accomplished poet in his youth. He assisted his father with the older relatives and vassals of the Takeda family, and became quite a valuable addition to the clan at a fairly young age. But at some point in his life after his "coming of age" ceremony, the young man decided to rebel against his father. He finally succeeded at the age of 21, successfully taking control of the clan. Events regarding this change of leadership are not entirely clear, but it is thought that his father had planned to name the second son, Takeda Nobushige, as his heir instead of Shingen. The end result for the father was a miserable retirement that was forced upon him by his son and his supporters: he was sent to Suruga province (on the southern border of Kai) to be kept in custody under the scrutiny of the Imagawa clan, led by Yoshimito Imagawa, the daimyo of Suruga. For their help in this bloodless coup, an alliance was formed between the Imagawa and the Takeda clans. Initial expansion Shingen's first act was to gain a hold of the area around him. His goal was to conquer Shinano province. A number of the major daimyos in the Shinano region marched on the border of Kai province, hoping to neutralize the power of the still-young Shingen before he had a chance to expand into their lands. However, planning to beat him down at Fuchu (where word had it Shingen was gathering his forces for a stand), they were unprepared when Takeda forces suddenly came down upon them at the battle of Sezawa. Taking advantage of their confusion, Shingen was able to score a quick victory, which set the stage for his drive into Shinano lands that same year. The young warlord made considerable advances into the region, conquering the Suwa headquarters in the siege of Kuwabara before moving into central Shinano with the defeat of both Tozawa Yorichika and Takato Yoritsugu. However, the warlord was checked at Uetahara by Murakami Yoshikiyo, losing two of his generals in a heated battle which Murakami won. Shingen managed to avenge this loss and the Murakami clan was eventually defeated. Murakami fled the region, eventually coming to plead for help from the Province of Echigo. Battle of Kawanakajima After he had conquered Shinano, Shingen faced another rival Kenshin Uesugi.The feud between them became almost legendary, and they faced each other on the battlefield five times at the battles of KawanakajiThe conflict between the two that had the fiercest fighting, and might have decided victory or defeat for one side or the other, was the fourth battle, during which the famous tale arose of Uesugi Kenshin's forces clearing a path through the Takeda troops and Kenshin engaging Shingen in single combat. The tale has Kenshin attacking Shingen with his sword while Shingen defends with his iron war fan or tessen. Both lords lost many men in this fight, and Shingen in particular lost two of his main generals, Yamamoto Kansuke and his younger brother Takeda Nobushige. Death The exact circumstances surrounding Takeda Shingen's death are not absolutely known. There are many different stories, some of which are as follows. When Takeda Shingen was 49 years old, he was the only daimyo with the necessary power and tactical skill to stop Oda Nobunaga's rush to rule Japan. He engaged Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces in 1572 and captured Futamata, and in January engaged in the battle of Mikatagahara, where he defeated, but not decisively, a small combined army of Nobunaga and Ieyasu. After defeating Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shingen stopped his advance temporarily due to outside influences, which allowed Tokugawa to prepare for battle again. He entered Mikawa Province, but soon died in the camp. Some accounts say he succumbed to an old war wound, some say a sniper wounded him earlier, and some accounts say he died of pneumonia. Quote "My battle with fate ends this day... Hide my death for three or four years... Bolster the defenses of our land... Nobunaga Oda is not the fool we thought and yet his time will come. He will weaken. That is the time you must head to the capital. Let the Takeda banner fly... free." (Shingen dying)